Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary has said it is committed to reducing crime in rural areas as it launches its new 2023-2025 Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy.
The strategy sets out how the Force intends to tackle rural crime and anti-social behaviour in local rural communities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight over the next 2 years.
Reassurances have been given by Rural & Wildlife Crime Inspector, Cath MacDonald, that there will be a greater presence in rural areas to discourage criminality, as she says everyone in rural areas has the right to feel safe.
At the heart of the new strategy are 4 key principles:
- Prepare – prepare for when rural and wildlife crime may occur, preventing where possible and mitigating its impact through efficient use of intelligence, data and technology.
- Prevent – preventing and deterring people from engaging in rural and wildlife crime through effective partnerships, media and communication and public engagement.
- Pursue – we are committed to relentlessly pursuing criminals causing harm to our rural communities with a focus on organised criminals, to prosecute, disrupt and deter offending.
- Protect – protect rural communities and wildlife from the impact of crime through a coordinated effort, utilising all available resources and stakeholders.
Inspector MacDonald says:
“We want to reassure rural communities that they are just as important as urban areas when we are providing an effective and efficient policing service in response to the needs and concerns of our local communities.
“The Constabulary recognises some of the unique challenges faced by our rural communities and the fact that many feel isolated and vulnerable; whether that be agricultural and rural business crime, environmental and heritage crime, game sports and wildlife crime to offences going under reported due to rural isolation such as domestic abuse.
Article continues below this advertisement “We hope that the new Rural & Crime Strategy provides much-needed focus on dealing robustly with rural and wildlife crime across our communities in the coming months and years.
“I would like to emphasise that we will be seeking to provide those within our rural communities a greater level of local policing that meets their expectations. This includes being visible and having a greater presence in rural areas, providing reassurance to our local residents that their concerns are being listened to and discouraging criminality.”
A priority focus within the strategy seeks to build on existing partnership relationships in order to protect rural communities and wildlife; including the likes of RSPCA, DEFRA, Environment Agency, National Farmers Union, Country Land and Business Association, Hampshire County Council, Forestry England, New Forest National Park Authority and many more.
The strategy can be found at https://www.hampshire.police.uk/SysSiteAssets/media/downloads/hampshire/advice/rural-times/2023/rural-and-wildlife-crime-strategy-2023-25.pdf.
Everyone should just get high pitched speakers, I have one in my garden, sure it upsets some of the wildlife but it hurts kids ears. Haha
I need to get a portable one to take into town with me.
Nice to see the police car cutting the corners… well done good driving
Perfectly legal for any driver that holds a valid driving licence to go over the white line if it is safe to do so, its called straightening out the curves .
Sounds like a load of old codswallop, new inspector same old verbal diarrhea.
More talk and waffle, they can’t sort out the normal crimes. How much time and money wasted on more pointless meetings.
Road Safety should be key.
So many animals get run over on Island Roads Badgers and Foxes etc to name a few.
Make Roads safe.
Ban Speeding on Island Roads
So they have come up with four key principles:
Prepare
Prevent
Pursue
Protect
This is great news! This new mantra is all we need to change the situation. As long as they don’t waste public money on actually policing rural areas, all will be well.